Saquatucket project goes out to bid, again

HARWICH -- Bids for the Saquatucket Harbor landside project came in too high recently, so the selectmen had to decide Monday whether to rebid the project that was approved at Town Meeting in May.

They spent a large portion of Monday night’s meeting debating different options, but finally agreed to try rebidding with some changes in the project to get it within the approved $3 million.

The lowest bid was $2.8 million, but did not allow enough for all the components and a contingency, so the final cost would probably go over the approved appropriation, Town Administrator Chris Clark explained.

He presented options that would cut costs and separate some of the six components of the project, which include a new harbormaster’s office, boardwalk, septic system, Downey property parking lot, maintenance garage and snack shack.

He proposed rebidding the base project of the office and boardwalk to a general contractor and keeping the snack shack as an add alternate and separately rebidding the septic system.

Clark also said the Harwich Department of Public Works has agreed to pave the parking lot on the former Downey property for $100,000, leaving the garage as the last piece to be done in a second phase that may require supplemental funding.

He added that doing the waterside section all together would cause the least disruption and could be done in one season.

“We want to complete what we know we can,” he said.

The proposal that he worked out with Harbormaster John Rendon and the architects also would include changes, such as less expensive pilings that would save $150,000 and changing the metal office roof for shingles. “We’re not sacrificing quality, but getting cost savings,” he said.

Clark said another component that has the potential of being positive includes several grants that the town has applied for: two Americans with Disabilities Act grants and a community preservation grant, all at $250,000 each, and a $1 million seaport grant, to offset the final costs. He added that he is confident that $635,000 would be available for the garage in the next bid if the snack shack is not built.

The selectmen then expressed various concerns about the rebidding proposal. Selectmen Chairman Michael MacAskill first said he could not support the revised project at all because it was “so far out from what was sold to the voters and this board.”

He said the town hadn’t received realistic cost estimates. But Clark maintained that the revised plan is the same one shown at Town Meeting.

“Town Meeting understood that the snack shack had the lowest of priorities,” he said. “We’re really close to doing the garage if the snack shack is not done.” Rendon added, “I don’t think we’re that far away from the base bid. I don’t think we’re changing what the voters wanted.” He said the bids were off for various reasons, such as bad soils and the booming economy. “The cost is ridiculous, but that’s the market,” he added.

Selectman Don Howell was adamant that the garage be funded because it was an important operational aspect that was sold to the voters. Clark said that if the current garage on Bank Street is sold, the money could be used for the garage, however, that will require a Town Meeting vote.

Selectman Jannell Brown said she was still concerned about the vision for the town’s only waterfront property, and suggested phasing in the project if there isn’t enough money.

Selectwoman Julie Kavanagh gave the strongest argument for continuing and rebidding the project, saying that going over budget and making changes were not unusual and part of value engineering. Members of the public also spoke up. Matt Hart, chairman of the waterways committee said he favored going out for bids again with the changes, and that the cost increases were caused by changes in regulations in the past year. He said the costs could be higher in a year if the project is postponed.

Resident Leo Cakounes said he favored the cost-cutting changes but is opposed to having money from the Bank Street garage sale going to the new garage since the taxpayers did not support that. If the garage is taken out of the project now, he said the selectmen would be coming back for another $1 million. “If you can’t make the $3 million budget, don’t do anything,” he said.

Rendon said the garage could still go out to bid soon also, and Clark said it could be built in the summer. “We’re pretty close, within $200,000 to $300,000,” Clark said of the total project cost.

Most of board members came to a consensus to put the project out to bid again. MacAskill went along, although he said he still expects the bids to be over $3 million.

Any new bid will be opened on Oct. 26, with reviewing until Nov. 16. With the rebidding, the main harborside project could be completed by next June 25.